1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for controlling environmental conditions in connection with ceiling hatch use, and more particularly, to a system for controlling the ingress and egress of airflow, heat, light, and matter in connection with ceiling hatch use on watercraft.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Watercraft art is ancient. Watercrafts have been used for leisure, sport and livelihood for ages and those who have followed such pursuits have continually endeavored to improve upon their respective water borne vessel. Myriad accessories are available to watercraft enthusiasts for improving upon the watercraft experience. Notably, among the myriad watercraft accessories available, ceiling hatches for controlling the climate of watercraft cabins are often viewed as an essential feature to any water going vessel having an enclosed space for occupancy.
The marketplace for hatch accessories, in particular, has provided a lucrative niche for manufacturers of marine-oriented products. Conspicuously absent from the marketplace is a product enabling consumers the opportunity to outfit a watercraft with a simple system for comprehensively controlling environmental conditions attendant to hatch use. More specifically, a product is needed that allows occupants of hatched cabins to leave hatches open during wet weather, thus allowing continual airflow, heat exchange and filtered light to enter the hatched cabin during wet weather, while capturing otherwise airborne water entering the hatched cabin, preventing captured water from damaging the interior, and diverting captured water away from the hatch for further use and/or disposal thereof. Systems for controlling isolated environmental conditions attendant to hatch use such as those outlined above are known in the prior art and some are described hereinafter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,232, which issued to Ross et al., discloses an Inverted Cargo Hatch Tent. This patent teaches a system for diverting water away from the contents of a cargo hold having a cargo hatch having exemplary rectangular coaming dimensions in the range of 30xc3x9740 feet to 60xc3x9785 feet. The system includes an inverted pliable sloping liner having an apex, which is the point where water accumulates under gravitational attraction. A drain line communicates with the apex to divert water away from the surface of the liner and the underlying cargo. The liner is contiguously mounted between the cargo hatch cover and the hatch coaming, enabling the system to collect water and divert water coming in contact with the sloped liner. Due to the snug liner mounting to the cargo hatch coaming, this system does not allow for unobstructed airflow to and from the cargo hold. Further, this system does not allow for heat to readily escape from the cargo hold. Still further this system does not allow for light to readily penetrate the cargo hold. Still further this system does not allow occupants to easily escape through the hatch as a path of egress in the event of the necessity to do so. The Inverted Cargo Hatch Tent thus blocks light and water and other airborne matter from entering or exiting the cargo hatch. The system thus effectively shields the applicable cargo hatch, but does not allow for free airflow and heat exchange, thus detracting from its capability to comprehensively control environmental conditions attendant to the use of ceiling hatches in occupancy based applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,580, which issued to Davidson, discloses a Marine Door Unit. This patent teaches a marine door system wherein the frame portion of the marine door unit includes water collection and diversion channels for diverting water away from watercraft gear and equipment storage compartments to which the marine door unit is attached. A drain tube further diverts collected water away from the compartment. A door is hingably connected to the frame portion, thus allowing entry into the storage compartment. The frame includes a support rail, which supports a sealing gasket for further sealing the marine door unit when the door is closed. Water leakage past the gasket is collected and diverted through the channels and away from the unit via the drain tube. Due to the snug water seal cooperatively associate with door closure on the unit, this system does not allow for unobstructed airflow to and from the storage compartment. Further, this system does not allow for heat to readily escape from the storage compartment. Still further this system does not allow for light to readily penetrate the storage compartment. The Marine Door Unit thus blocks light and water and other airborne matter from entering or exiting the storage compartment, keeping the compartment dry for storage. The system effectively shields the applicable storage compartment from environmental conditions, but does not allow for free airflow and heat exchange, thus detracting from its capability to comprehensively control environmental conditions attendant to the use of ceiling hatches in occupancy based applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,422, which issued to Muller, discloses a Hatch Ventilator Awning For Boats. This patent teaches a waterproof awning, which can be unrolled from a compact state for storage and be securely affixed over a boat hatch as an aid to prevent water from entering the boat cabin below the boat hatch and for funneling air into the hatch opening for better boat cabin ventilation. This hatch ventilator awning for boats does not prevent wind blown water from entering the hatch via the open funnel end. Further, the awning is affixed over a boat hatch thus preventing occupants in the boat cabin from adjusting or removing the awning from below the deck of the boat. Still further, the awing does not allow for easy ingress and egress of occupants from the hatch in the event of an emergency. The awning, thus allows for free airflow and filtered light to enter the boat cabin, but allows wind blown water to enter the cabin and frustrates boat cabin occupants from adjusting or easily removing the awning from within the cabin. These features both detract from its ability to comprehensively control environmental conditions attendant to the use of a watercraft hatch and compromises occupant safety by thwarting easy removal of the awning from a critical path of egress.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,834, which issued to Pinder, discloses a Rain Shield. This patent teaches a shield for roof vents consisting of two hingedly connected panels. The first panel is integrally attached to a vent cap and has dimensions greater in magnitude than the vent cap, thus blocking rain from entering the vent. The second panel is adjacent the first panel with an end opposite the hinge joint connected to a slide means slidably engaged with tracks on the roof adjacent the vent. This rain shield does not prevent wind blown water from entering the vent blown from positions lateral to the rain shield. Further, the rain shield is affixed integral with a vent cap exterior to the living space below the vent, thus preventing occupants from adjusting or removing the rain shield from within the vented room. The rain shield, thus allows for free airflow and filtered light to enter the vented room, but allows wind blown water to enter the room and frustrates cabin occupants from adjusting or easily removing the rain shield from within the room. These features both detract from the ability of the Rain Shield to comprehensively control environmental conditions attendant to the use of an occupancy based application for a ceiling hatch and decreases ease of occupant use by requiring occupants to adjust or remove the rain shield from an exterior roof location. Additionally, the Rain Shield does not allow for the collection and containment of valuable fresh water for further marine vessel use.
None of the prior art discloses a system for use in combination with a hatch having a suspended water collection means allowing for simultaneous collection, diversion and containment of water, filtering of light, circulation of air, exchange of heat, and shield for the prevention of other foreign matter from entering a hatched cabin or hatched room. Further, none of the prior art discloses a system for use in combination with a hatch having a suspended water collection means, which may be easily adjusted or removed from its suspended overlapping disposition below the ceiling hatch by an occupant from within the cabin or room, thus allowing for easy ingress and egress through the ceiling hatch.
Accordingly, one objective of the present invention is to provide a system for comprehensively controlling environmental conditions in connection with the use of ceiling hatches in occupancy based applications. In this regard, an objective of the present invention is to provide a suspended support platform for allowing simultaneous collection, diversion and containment of water, filtering of light, circulation of air, exchange of heat, and shielding of other foreign matter from entering a hatched cabin or hatched room. Another objective of the present invention is to provide a suspended support platform, which may be easily adjusted or removed from a suspended overlapping disposition below a ceiling hatch by an occupant from within the hatched cabin or hatched room, thus allowing for easy ingress and egress through the ceiling hatch as desired by room occupants. Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a suspended support platform to enhance occupant privacy in a cabin. Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a suspended support platform to deter passersby from entering a hatched cabin or hatched room through a ceiling hatch.
To attain these objectives, the claimed invention generally comprises in combination a ceiling hatch being spatially and fixedly positioned in a substantially horizontal plane of a cabin or room ceiling. The ceiling hatch is positioned in a cabin or room ceiling adjacent to support structure corresponding to a cabin or room ceiling structure. The cabin or room ceiling structure adjacent the ceiling hatch further has bracket fastening means receiving structure. The ceiling hatch has pre-selected horizontal hatch size dimensions as selected by those desirous of a ceiling hatch.
The environmental control system further comprises a platform suspended below the ceiling hatch and adapted to support matter inferior to the ceiling hatch. The platform further comprises a substantially planar portion having an upper support surface and a lower exposed surface. The upper support surface faces opposite the ceiling hatch and the lower exposed surface faces a floor surface opposite the ceiling hatch. The platform also comprises an upwardly extending contiguous hem flange about the perimeter of the planar portion having an inner retaining surface and an outer exposed surface. The hem flange includes at least one liquid outlet aperture for exhausting liquid from the upper support surface and through the inner retaining and outer exposed surfaces.
The environmental control system further comprises at least one suspension means for suspending the platform below the ceiling hatch. The suspension means has at least one spatially superior attachment structure and at least one spatially inferior attachment structure opposite the spatially superior attachment structure. The spatially superior attachment structure is attached to the support structure adjacent the ceiling hatch and the spatially inferior attachment structure is attached to the platform.
The environmental control system further comprises at least one liquid conduit structure for diverting liquid away from the platform. The liquid conduit structure has one liquid inlet end and at least one liquid outlet end opposite the liquid inlet end. The liquid inlet end is cooperatively associated with the liquid outlet aperture for receiving exhausted liquid from the liquid outlet aperture.
The environmental control system comprises at least one liquid collection and containment structure for receiving and containing exhausted water. The liquid collection and containment structure includes at least one liquid receiving aperture. The liquid receiving aperture is cooperatively associated with the liquid outlet end for receiving exhausted liquid from the liquid outlet end.
Other claimed features of the environmental control system include baffle means supported at the perimeter of the platform and manually adjustable for preventing wind blown rain from escaping the platform through the opening between the platform and the underside of the ceiling hatch.